'The Pacific'

Oberon · 10-01-09, 12:25 PM

From the people who brought you 'Band of Brothers'....

Quote:

An interview with Dale Dye - Technical advisor for The Pacific, Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan

JRH: You recently finished work on “The Pacific” which follows the Marines in their battles with Imperial Japan. What battles can we expect to see?

DD: This new HBO miniseries is really close to my heart as a Marine. It follows my old outfit - the 1st Marine Division - through all of its major battles in the Pacific campaigns of World War II. We follow three major characters - one from each of the division’s rifle regiments, 1st Marines, 5th Marines and 7th Marines - from the opening salvos at Guadalcanal, re-fitting in Australia after the Solomons Campaign, on to Cape Gloucester on New Guinea, to Peleliu and then on to Okinawa and back home at war’s end.
JRH: How would you compare this series to “Band of Brothers”?

DD: “The Pacific” is presented in the same ten-part format as “Band of Brothers” and I think it will prove to be just as popular as the ETO series…especially among Marines and veterans of the Pacific Theater of Operations. That said, it’s very different from “Band”. It’s as different as World War II in the Pacific was from World War II in Europe. It’s much darker and more brutal but that was the nature of fighting on those Pacific islands. Just ask any veteran for confirmation of that. Tom Hanks who is one of our Executive Producers likes to say it will take the audience on a brutal journey to hell and back; the same sort of journey that was experienced by the men who fought the real battles. I think he’s right on the mark with that. From a personal perspective as the Senior Military Advisor, it was an honor and a real treat to command a unit of World War II Marines - actors and special ability extras - for a full year. As we did with Band of Brothers, we stayed in character the entire time. And the training in the jungles of Far North Queensland, Australia was really rugged. I don’t think any of the guys will ever forget that.

JRH: When can we expect to see it?

DD: We’re finishing post-production on “The Pacific” right now. HBO tells me they plan to air it beginning early in 2010. I’m trying to get them to do an exclusive preview at the traditional home of the 1st Marine Division just down the road at Camp Pendleton.

In my opinion, this looks excellant, and I'm sorry if this is a repost, but I've only just discovered it. Band of Brothers was one of the most epic TV series ever, accessible to all and a fantastic tribute to the men who ended the war in Europe.
If 'The Pacific' turns out any bit as good as Band of Brothers, then it will be a winner.

ETR3(SS) · 10-01-09, 02:07 PM

Agreed. I don't have cable, but as soon as it comes out on DVD I will be buying it and it can sit right next to Band of Brothers, when I'm not watching it.

August · 10-01-09, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ETR3(SS)

Agreed. I don't have cable, but as soon as it comes out on DVD I will be buying it and it can sit right next to Band of Brothers, when I'm not watching it.

Yup me too.

Falkirion · 10-01-09, 06:45 PM

My sister's in that actually. She was one of the extras when they were filming down here in Melbourne. I'll definitely be picking up a copy.

Skybird · 10-01-09, 07:00 PM

Band of Brothers was absolutely excellent and a real quality event. I especially liked it for lacking the pathos and nationalistic mood you usually would expect from an american war movie, and what still was present in Private Ryan - also a good movie, but at the end there was this certain and somewhat typical posturing that BoB was lacking. Bob just did the narration as close to the people as possible, sober - and by that so much more moving and believable than any artifical sentiment could ever manage to achieve in the audience. My biggest compliments to the creators of that series. If Pacific manages to repeat these virtues, I will get and watch it. But the standard to which I compare it - BoB - is set to "very high".

TheBrauerHour · 10-01-09, 09:28 PM

I am a fan of BoB, and am looking forward to watching this as well.

Dowly · 10-02-09, 03:06 AM

Was looking forward to this when I first heard of it. The grew a tad bored and now I'm blackmailing the makers of Generation Kill to make moar of it.

AVGWarhawk · 10-02-09, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skybird

Band of Brothers was absolutely excellent and a real quality event. I especially liked it for lacking the pathos and nationalistic mood you usually would expect from an american war movie, and what still was present in Private Ryan - also a good movie, but at the end there was this certain and somewhat typical posturing that BoB was lacking. Bob just did the narration as close to the people as possible, sober - and by that so much more moving and believable than any artifical sentiment could ever manage to achieve in the audience. My biggest compliments to the creators of that series. If Pacific manages to repeat these virtues, I will get and watch it. But the standard to which I compare it - BoB - is set to "very high".

I liked Wallace and Grommet. The cheese selected are politically correct for the time. The cheese does not lean left or right but seems to be flavored down the middle.

Anyway, looks like a great movie and I'm sure I will purchase a DVD when available as it looks to be a keeper much like SPR and BoB. Cool find.

ajrimmer42 · 10-02-09, 10:24 AM

Agreed, it looks fantastic, can't wait to see it.

10-02-09, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skybird

Band of Brothers was absolutely excellent and a real quality event. I especially liked it for lacking the pathos and nationalistic mood you usually would expect from an american war movie, and what still was present in Private Ryan - also a good movie, but at the end there was this certain and somewhat typical posturing that BoB was lacking. Bob just did the narration as close to the people as possible, sober - and by that so much more moving and believable than any artifical sentiment could ever manage to achieve in the audience. My biggest compliments to the creators of that series. If Pacific manages to repeat these virtues, I will get and watch it. But the standard to which I compare it - BoB - is set to "very high".

Yea I liked BoB for the most part. Certain episodes seemed to be better then others. I know that it's pretty unlikely that there will be much cowardice or any cruelties of the US soldiers in these, most likely just the heroes of the 'good war'. I guess it's refreshing for Americans to escape to a simpler time when good guys and bad guys were easier to tell from one another, or so it seemed at the time.

AVGWarhawk · 10-02-09, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneToughHerring

Yea I liked BoB for the most part. Certain episodes seemed to be better then others. I know that it's pretty unlikely that there will be much cowardice or any cruelties of the US soldiers in these, most likely just the heroes of the 'good war'. I guess it's refreshing for Americans to escape to a simpler time when good guys and bad guys were easier to tell from one another, or so it seemed at the time.

You are automatically assuming there will no 'cowardice or any cruelties of the US soldiers' in the movie. Why? You sound a bit bitter.

10-02-09, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

You are automatically assuming there will no 'cowardice or any cruelties of the US soldiers' in the movie. Why? You sound a bit bitter.

Yea, why should I doubt Hollywood to bring us anything but the truth.

On the subject of the WW 2 in the Pacific, The Naked And The Dead was a good book but the movie kind of sucked. From Here To Eternity was pretty much the same deal. Pretty much always the books are better then the movies especially when Hollywood is making the movie.

I'd like to see a movie about WW 2 that wouldn't be full of naive stuff, that'd be more realistic and would give an impartial view of the events. This kind of stuff about MoH winners etc. is kinda predictable.

AVGWarhawk · 10-02-09, 01:30 PM

I see and understand what you mean.

Dowly · 10-02-09, 01:32 PM

@OTH

You should be smart enough to know that there will never be (atleast in public spreading) a movie that get's down and dirty and shows how stuff really went. The winners write the history as they like.

Biggles · 10-02-09, 01:33 PM

And it's a whole different thing to be in a war and to watch a movie based on it, how accurate it may be.

Or so I would believe.

10-01-09, 02:07 PM	#2
ETR3(SS) Ocean Warrior Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Between test depth and periscope depth Posts: 3,021 Downloads: 175 Uploads: 16	Agreed. I don't have cable, but as soon as it comes out on DVD I will be buying it and it can sit right next to Band of Brothers, when I'm not watching it. __________________ USS Kentucky SSBN 737 (G) Comms Div 2003-2006 Qualified 19 November 03 Yes I was really on a submarine.

10-01-09, 07:00 PM	#5
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,602 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Band of Brothers was absolutely excellent and a real quality event. I especially liked it for lacking the pathos and nationalistic mood you usually would expect from an american war movie, and what still was present in Private Ryan - also a good movie, but at the end there was this certain and somewhat typical posturing that BoB was lacking. Bob just did the narration as close to the people as possible, sober - and by that so much more moving and believable than any artifical sentiment could ever manage to achieve in the audience. My biggest compliments to the creators of that series. If Pacific manages to repeat these virtues, I will get and watch it. But the standard to which I compare it - BoB - is set to "very high". __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

10-02-09, 10:24 AM	#9
ajrimmer42 Royal Kinotropist Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 987 Downloads: 18 Uploads: 0	Agreed, it looks fantastic, can't wait to see it. __________________ Alex Don't judge a ship by the number of it's guns, but by the skill of it's crew.

10-02-09, 01:30 PM	#13
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,253 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	I see and understand what you mean. __________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road

10-02-09, 01:33 PM	#15
Biggles Silent Hunter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sweden (I'm not a Viking...) Posts: 3,529 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	And it's a whole different thing to be in a war and to watch a movie based on it, how accurate it may be. Or so I would believe. __________________

10-01-09, 06:45 PM	#4
Falkirion Ace of the Deep Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Melbourne, AUS Posts: 1,043 Downloads: 34 Uploads: 0	My sister's in that actually. She was one of the extras when they were filming down here in Melbourne. I'll definitely be picking up a copy.

10-01-09, 09:28 PM	#6
TheBrauerHour Mr. Eastwood Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 364 Downloads: 18 Uploads: 0	I am a fan of BoB, and am looking forward to watching this as well.

10-02-09, 03:06 AM	#7
Dowly Lucky Jack Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 25,052 Downloads: 32 Uploads: 0	Was looking forward to this when I first heard of it. The grew a tad bored and now I'm blackmailing the makers of Generation Kill to make moar of it.

10-02-09, 01:32 PM	#14
Dowly Lucky Jack Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 25,052 Downloads: 32 Uploads: 0	@OTH You should be smart enough to know that there will never be (atleast in public spreading) a movie that get's down and dirty and shows how stuff really went. The winners write the history as they like.